Naomi Osaka made a remarkable comeback at the Miami Open on Tuesday, battling from behind to defeat Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. This victory marked her first win since the Australian Open in January.
Osaka’s journey to victory wasn’t smooth sailing initially, as she lost the first set and found herself trailing 4-2 in the second. Yet, cheered on by a supportive and lively crowd under the Florida sun, she found her groove just in time.
“I could tell my game wasn’t sharp, but I told myself to hang in there for as long as possible,” Osaka explained, reflecting her fondness for Miami, which she considers her American home despite her Japanese roots.
Recalling her performance at Indian Wells, she said, “I was over-hitting like crazy there, so today I focused on moving more. If it meant running to every corner on that court to win, so be it. We could be here for three hours, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.”
The match reached a pivotal moment during a nerve-wracking service game in the third set. Here, Osaka impressively staved off two break points from Starodubtseva and delivered a blistering serve that secured her a 4-1 lead.
She sealed the match with another unstoppable serve, marking the end of a two-hour-and-28-minute struggle, while her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, watched proudly from the sidelines.
After pulling out from her third-round match in Melbourne due to an abdominal strain and faltering in her Indian Wells opener, Osaka showcased her renowned agility and powerful strokes to clinch this win.
Looking ahead, Osaka is set to face Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, the 24th seed, on Thursday in the second round. The two have faced off twice before, each taking one victory.
Elsewhere in the tournament, American Alycia Parks, Czech Katerina Siniakova, and Romanian Sorana Cirstea also advanced to the second round at this prestigious WTA 1000 event.
